This verse has been taped to my kitchen window above my sink for a couple of weeks now. I was finishing reading through 1 Corinthians when it jumped off the page to me one morning. Does that ever happen to you? I usually try to pull myself out of my bed early before the kids wake up for a quiet moment with just coffee, God and His Word and some birds that interrupt the silence with their backyard music. And while I don’t feel this every day, some days, it’s so clear to me what God wants me to see and hear in His Word.
Category Archives: pressing in
What the World Needs Now!
About a year ago, my husband and I were at the Cove in Asheville for a conference. As always, it was a fabulous time of teaching, worship, and fellowship. If you have never been there-you must go! But on this particular evening, our speaker began with these words…
When the Shadows Shift
We live out on some land and so at night it gets to be what we call “country dark”- no street lights, no significant light coming from the closest neighbors- just complete darkness. The only nights we have good light are those of a full or harvest moon. And because it’s so dark, if you have to venture outside to close up the chicken coop or really for any other reason, any bit of light is a profound blessing.
Fear or Faith?
No matter where you stand concerning our political world today, if you are a believer in Jesus, then this is a Psalm that applies to you. It only takes a cursory look to see that the world is chaotic and tumultuous. Our world’s condition reminds me of pieces of a puzzle thrown onto a table looking for some kind of order. And this chaos and disorder can easily drive us to become fearful. We can be fearful that the problems the world is facing are just too big. And we can start to believe that God’s hand of protection might not be enough!
Camp 2020
Camp 2020 (otherwise known as Oma/Papa Camp) has just concluded for our 3 grand-kiddos from out of town. Boy, did we have fun! And boy, are we tired! There is a reason God makes us do the parenting thing during our younger years. We swam twice a day, did all kinds of crafts, painted t-shirts, baked and decorated some really fun little Bundt cakes, put together a fairly hard puzzle, ate Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes…you get it…we were busy! One of the favorite crafts for the girls was making friendship bracelets. I found an easy to follow video which taught me how to make these cool bracelets which in turn let me teach my 2 granddaughters how to make them. At least 10 or 12 bracelets were made in just a few days. For those of you with 6-12-year-old kids or grandkids who like making things, I have attached the video link here to teach you how to do it.
John, Jacob, Jingle Heimer Smith
When I was out of ideas of entertaining things to do, we began to sing and out of the blue, from somewhere deep in the hollows of my mind came the words, “John Jacob Jingle Heimer Smith, his name is my name too…” Those words got the boys’ attention. They especially loved it when I sang it louder and louder. I haven’t thought about that song in years, and yet, those words and tune were there at just the right moment. Isn’t the brain amazing?
How Not to Stay Lying in the Dust
“I lie in the dust, revive me by your words.” Psalm 119:25 It was two in the morning, and Janet had been tossing and turning all night. She had tried everything to help her sleep, warm milk, a heating pad, and even some melatonin. Yet here she was still struggling, with morning just around the corner. This wasContinue reading “How Not to Stay Lying in the Dust”
What is your plumb line?
When we face roadblocks along the path of life, it’s good to stop and realize that our human ingenuity or sheer willpower may not be enough to resolve the problem. Jill Briscoe I am teaching my final lesson today from my book, Pack Your Baggage, Honey, We’re Moving to Paris! for a 3-week Zoom BibleContinue reading “What is your plumb line?”
Don’t Settle for Being a Nettle!
Isaiah 55:13 says, “Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.” Renewing how I think, is the best part of digging deeply in Scripture. Every timeContinue reading “Don’t Settle for Being a Nettle!”
Out-fitted!
I loved snow skiing as a kid. Having grown up near the Adirondack mountains made skiing an easy and fun “fit” for me. During one winter break from school, my parents splurged on a week of ski lessons for me. I was excited and had the time of my life, discovering more about skiing. During one of my earliest adventures in skiing, I concluded the trip by wrapping myself around a fence at the entrance to the ski lodge. I had figured out how to ski but hadn’t quite perfected stopping yet. And so, you can see why I required those lessons! Part of the entire skiing experience was always getting out-fitted for the adventure. The first 45 minutes or so at the ski slopes were always spent at the rental shop getting fitted for whatever you happened to be missing from your collection of equipment. The “out-fitting” was an essential part of the experience.
Anne Farnum 